+ Can be purchased at any local grocery store. + Yes you can still use BP and any other acne related medications or remedies ex. Tea Tree Oil. + Yes you can also use Emu Oil. I suggest using it at night bc it is oily and use it after ACV/BP or w/e else you use. + If you want to drink it add 2 - 4 Tablespoons of ACV in a large glass of Apple Juice or Apple Cider. Use a straw because the more acid that touches your teeth the higher your risk is of ruining your enamel. IDK too much about it so your best bet is to look it up yourself so that you don't ruin your teeth, I have read that swishing with Baking Soda after wards will reduce acidity in the mouth. + Any BRAND of ACV is fine and yes they all say 5% Acidity. + Using tap water is fine, using cold water is probably better, more soothing and less irritating.

How to Make

1. 50/50 ACV + Water in an old Astringent bottle, Shot glass or Spray bottle.

2. Use a cotton pad, cotton ball, or spray bottle to apply ACV Toner.

3. Your face can still be wet .. but I prefer drying my face then using ACV that way my face isn't dripping. Moisturize when you are dried completely! ACV does dry out your skin so stay moisturized.

4. Sometimes I use ACV full strength it all depends on how my skin is feeling .. some days it can handle it. There is nothing wrong with using full strength.. you just have to know your own skin. If you have sensitive skin I suggest sticking with the 50/50 solution, and if it is tougher than applying the ACV without water every now and then is okay too.

I hope you have great success with this regimen, I know my red marks are quickly fading and my overal skin tone is so much better than before. So many people are having success with ACV.

I have made several posts about it's benefits. ACV isn't only great for skin but your hair as well. Using ACV as a rinse in the shower brings out your shine, highlights and softness in your hair because it removes all the build up of old shampoo.

The list of remedies for ACV seems to be endless from cooking, outside use, hair, skin, fatigue, headaches, weight loss, arthritis etc. I am sure these simple and very inexpensive solution will benefit you immensely.

* If you know your skin is sensitive please start out slow and use less than a 50/50 solution, I do not want you to burn your skin!

* Use ACV at your own risk. I will not be held responsible for anyone who is burned by this product. Remember it is an acid so please dilute esp. if this is your first time. Pls understand most of your questions will not be answered. I am not a doctor. Just sharing a product that worked for me.

Hormones, Sweat glands and pH
The pores of our skin are made up of a combination of oil and sweat glands (sebaceous and sudoriferous glands) helping to keep our skin healthy and elastic. An excessive sebum secretion is often associated with oily skin and acne. This is particularly common in adolescents as the increased levels of sex hormones stimulate sebum production and secretion. When in balance, the combined excretion of oil and sweat from the skinâ€™s pores has a pH of about 5.5.

The Acid Mantle, Age and the importance of the skin's pH
This slightly acidic layer, also referred to as the â€śAcid Mantleâ€ť, is our bodyâ€™s first defence mechanism against bacteria invading it and is not a favourable environment bacterial growth to occur. This defence layer develops at puberty, which is why children are more susceptible to disease, viruses and fungal infections such are ringworm. The pH of childrenâ€™s skin is closer to neutral (pH 7).

At puberty, however, we start to produce more hair on our bodies. Hair follicles have an associated sebaceous gland or glands which become active as hair growth increases, causing changes in the skinâ€™s pH. The hormones that control sweat also become active and the whole surface of a teenagerâ€™s skin is totally different to that of a young child. This is our bodyâ€™s way to increase our defence system.

The pH of normal, healthy human skin is somewhere between 4.5 and 6. However, this varies with age. Typically, newborns have a pH closer to neutral (pH 7) that quickly turns acidic in order to protect young childrenâ€™s skin.

In the late teens to early 20â€™s, our Acid Mantle is well developed and provides good protection against potentially harmful, external environmental factors. Our skin usually looks healthy, heals quickly when injured and seems to take care of itself.

With increasing age however, the skinâ€™s pH becomes more and more neutral, and thus more susceptible to bacterial growth. This reduced acidity kills fewer bacteria than before, leaving the skin susceptible to bacterial growth and infections. The skin weakens as a result and begins developing problems with increasing age. (Interestingly, the pH value rises beyond 6 when a person actually suffers from a skin problem or skin disease.)

The aging process of the skin causes biochemical changes in collagen and elastin, the connective tissues underlying the skin, which give the skin its firmness (collagen) and elasticity (elastin). The rates of loss of skin firmness and elasticity differs from individual to individual, depending on their genetic makeup, general health, over exposure to the sun, skin care regime, or lack there of, and other factors.

As the skin becomes less elastic, it also becomes drier; the underlying fatty tissue begins to disappear resulting in the skin beginning to sag. Our skin is less supple, and wrinkles begin to form. At this stage, our skin is more easily injured, heals more slowly and tends to dry out more quickly.

The role of pH in Acne
As outlined above, the skinâ€™s pH is important and maintaining a slightly acidic pH of around 5.5 is critical.

The skinâ€™s pH value is one of the major contributors to acne and other skin problems. Propionibacterium acnes is a bacteria that normally lives on the skin and is a normal bacteria found in all persons regardless of the presence or absence of acne.

However, in individuals prone to acne, the number of P. acnes is greatly increased. It has been found that the growth of this bacteria is very much dependent on the pH value of the skin and its growth is at its minimum at the normal skin pH of 5.5. A slight shift towards the alkaline pH would provide a better environment in which it can thrive.

Importance of the skin's pH: Do's & Don'ts
One of the major culprits that radically alter the pH of the skin, is soap. Ordinary, commercially available soaps are highly alkaline (pH range 9-11) and raise the skinâ€™s pH to be much more alkaline. In addition, soap dries out the skin, because of its high alkalinity. Thus if you choose to use a commercially available soap, you must restore the pH of your skin to prevent loss of moisture and the excessive growth of bacteria. It is important to remember that this applies to the entire surface of your skin, not just the face.

Other factors influencing your skin's pH
Another factor that helps in regulating your skinâ€™s pH is the presents of microflora on your skin. Staphylococcus epidermis is involved in the breakdown of fatty acids, and is therefore partly responsible for the acidic pH of skin. The use of ordinary soap, not only changes the pH of the skin to be more alkaline, effectively removing the protective acid mantle, but also kills the bacteria responsible for creating, at least in part, the acidic pH of your skin ďż˝" a double whammy.

It is therefore of great importance to have a good skin care regime in which high quality, natural skin care products are employed. There are a couple of simple steps to take before buying a particular brand of natural skin care products.

Identify the skin type(s) on the face. There are usually two or more. One skin type is usually isolated to the T-Zone (forehead and nose), the other applies to the rest of the facial skin.

Carefully select your natural skin care products. It is not good enough to choose products, which add natural ingredients to an otherwise non-natural base crĂ¨me or lotion, as is the case in many supermarket brands. READ the label carefully, ask questions and if you are buying the products on-line, make sure there is a guarantee that allows you some time to evaluate the products before they need to be returned for a refund.

Also, look for ingredients you may find difficult to pronounce. For example:

1,4-dioxane

2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (Bronopol)

Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES)

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)

Anionic Surfactants

Benzalkonium Chloride

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), just to mention a very few. There are hundreds, yes hundreds more. This type of ingredient is not a natural ingredient and should not be in your skin care products.

Look for manufacturers that have qualified herbalists or naturopaths on staff. These people generally do not support the use of artificial ingredients because it goes against everything they teach their patients, friends and family. ďż˝" For the most part, itâ€™s a pretty good indication that the products are pure and natural, when natural therapists are in charge of the formulation of the products.

Your skin is not replaceable and is one of the most important organs with many major functions and roles to play in your health and well being. Look after it, invest in it. It will pay you back many fold and you'll radiate the benefits.

* Completely copied and pasted from Natural Skin Care But I am too tired to paraphrase it all. Essentially ACV is good bc it is an acid that everyone can buy and certainly afford. You don't need to spend 40+ dollars for some special toner. Id you want to spend that much be my guest but IMO ACV works just as well.

Wow. Interesting, thanks a lot man. I have to admit, I thought it was BS as well, but so many people keep raving about it. So do you use 75%ish vinegar and the rest water when you mix them or what? What works the best?

I use it after I have washed as a toner. I use it neat, I don not dilute it, and it is really good. And I mean , really really good!

A question to smashing Pumpkin:-

you know when you said you can use it on your hair, is it in place of a conditioner? Or do I wash my hair in shampoo and conditioner and then rinse it in vinegar after I have done all that? I would love to know as i feel my hair has got a build up of shampoo and conditioner and everything. Thanks.

When it says to use it as a rinse i think it means .. soak your hair in it for a couple min. then i would do my daily routine in the shower. Apple Cider just gets rid of all that nasty build up left by most shampoos.

Sometimes i do full strength but it can make u teary eye so i have a toner that is hmmm 50/50 more is ok.

Some of my redmarks i have had for over 3 years and yes they too are fading .. others i have had for about a month and those ofcourse are fading much faster. What i did notice was .. i had a scab on my face .. i had a white head and it wouldnt come out so silly me it left a scab .. well it was at the time i was using the ACV and thank god! because now no redmarks .. it healed the scab nicely and left it a little pink but thats it now there is nothing there

no i dont use a spray bottle .. i used one of my old astringent bottles .. and put the ACV on a flat cotton pad just as you would a toner or astringent. Sometimes i do full strength but som eppls skin may not b able to handle it so do 50/50 .. but best results coem from full strength. Yeup i know its permanent bc i stopped for a couple days and no red marks came back.

I made a Toner .. i filled up one of my SeaBreeze bottles .. less than half vinegar and the rest water .. sometimes i do full strength .. but anyways .. after 3 days of doing it about 2 or 3 times a day .. i noticed a def. reduction! now i don't have pix bc i honestly didn't think it would work .. i ahve been putting it off for months bc i assumed this was b/s. But, surprisingly it does. YOU MUST TRY THIS! Can anyone tell me why this works tho? What is in ACV that makes it clear up skin and get rid of red marks?

Hey!!! I'm using the CSR, can i just apply the ACV after i apply the moisturiser or would you recommend me stopping the CSR?

Also, i'll start off by using 50:50, but dont u find that your face stings/goes red after using it?

yeah ive read alot about the great effects apple cider vinegar can have. But I've tried it for months and it did nothing for me, just made me smell a little which I hated. But so many people report success with it...unfortunately absolutely no one has documented pics with it...

I bought some today too after reading all those good things. I'm gonna take it orally and see what happens. And damn..EYEGLASS CLEANER?! My glasses are ALWAYS filthy! Good tips to know, thanks for sharing!

Colonel Mustard: You can't make an omelette without breaking the eggs, EVERY cook will tell you that!Mrs. Peacock: But look what happened to the cook!

I still use the CSR gel .. in fact .. i use ACV Toner ... Retinyl Gel ... CSR Gel .. but i try and do the ACV twice a day and the Retinyl twice a day i've juss been using the CSR Gel at night.

My ACV is actually a Stop N Shop brand .. but i am sure they are all the same. But omg does it tatse nasty! i put 2 tsps in a huge glass of water and ick! i read to put 1 tsp of ACV and 1 tsp of Honey in Water .. what the honey doe sim not sure but thats what i read and its above.

I just put an aspirin into my bottle of ACV .. if u read what i wrote above #17 i think thats what she puts in her vinegar .. aspirin is basically SA which will help exfoliate the skin and prevnets pimples .. i know ACV also helps with acne so SA + ACV must work well. When i added the aspirin it dissolved almost instantly pretty cool.

LOL, I remember years ago, in college, a chiropractor had me swig that stuff every morning for weight loss. I can't stand to smell it now. I can't remember if I had acne that year or not. I always had a little...

I made a Toner .. i filled up one of my SeaBreeze bottles .. less than half vinegar and the rest water .. sometimes i do full strength .. but anyways .. after 3 days of doing it about 2 or 3 times a day .. i noticed a def. reduction! now i don't have pix bc i honestly didn't think it would work .. i ahve been putting it off for months bc i assumed this was b/s. But, surprisingly it does. YOU MUST TRY THIS! Can anyone tell me why this works tho? What is in ACV that makes it clear up skin and get rid of red marks?

Hi.

It's great that your marks are fading. I saw your pictures, but you have, in my opinion, like NO red marks and extremely mild acne! They (the marks) are just slightly pink. Mine's actually red. They are fading on their own + with some lemon juice, but mine are red (compared to yours.. LOL) like I said and I don't think vinegar would help with really dark marks. What do you think?